“July was a relatively quiet month in Connecticut's labor markets with both payroll jobs and unemployment statistics changing very little,” said Andy Condon, Director of the Office of Research. “Over the year, payroll job growth in July was 11,600, well ahead of last year's performance.”

Five of the ten major industry supersectors increased employment in July 2017, while five declined. Trade, Transportation & Utilities (2,200, 0.7%, 300,400 jobs) led gaining industries showing strength in both transportation & warehousing (1,100) and retail, (900). Other Services gained 1,000 jobs (1.5%, 68,800). Education and Health Services grew by 800 (0.2%, 334,000) with most new jobs appearing in health services, (600). Financial Activities contributed 500 jobs (0.4%, 133,300) in July while the Information grew by 100 (0.3%).

Leisure and Hospitality (-2,000, -1.2%, 159,100) showed the largest decline in July, potentially a seasonal adjustment to very large growth in June. The entire decline came from the accommodations & food services component (-2,800, 2.1%). Leisure and Hospitality continues to lead all supersectors in numeric job growth over the year (4,800, 3.1% OTY). The Construction and Mining sector shed 1,600 jobs (-2.6%, 59,500). The Government continued to lose jobs in July (-900, -0.4%, 232,900) and it remains the sector with the largest declines over the year, (-3,100, -1.3%). Professional and Business Services dropped 500 jobs in July (-0.2%, 215,800) while Manufacturing was off slightly (-200, -0.1%, 156,400).

Connecticut has now recovered 82.3% (98,000 jobs) of the 119,100 seasonally adjusted jobs lost in the Great Recession (3/08-2/10). The job recovery is into its 89th month and the state needs an additional 21,100 jobs to reach an overall nonfarm employment expansion. The state's Private Sector has fared better, regaining 101.0% (112,800) of the 111,700 private sector jobs lost in that same employment downturn. The Government has lost a total of 22,200 positions since the recession began in March 2008.

Labor Market Areas (LMAs): Of the six LMAs that are seasonally adjusted by BLS, four of Connecticut's regional Labor Market Areas (LMAs) were higher in nonfarm employment, and two were lower in July 2017. These six LMAs make up over 91% of Connecticut's nonagricultural employment. The Norwich-New London-Westerly LMA (1,200, 0.9%, 131,600 jobs) led all LMAs in job growth last month in both numerical and percentage terms and is now the fastest growing LMA in the state over the year in percentage terms (2,800, 2.2% OTY). The Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford LMA (900, 0.2%, 575,300) was next and still leads in job growth magnitude over the last 12 months (4,800, 0.8% OTY). The Waterbury LMA (600, 1.8%, 67,400), and the Danbury LMA (500, 0.6%, 80,000) added jobs as well. The Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk LMA (-1,100, -0.3%, 411,600) and the New Haven LMA (-600, -0.2%, 284,700) both lost jobs in July.
Note: Six major Connecticut LMAs are estimated independently from the statewide data by the BLS and cover more than 90% of the nonfarm employment in the state. Thus, estimates will not fully sum to the statewide total.

Hours and Earnings: The Private Sector, workweek, not seasonally adjusted, averaged 33.8 hours in July 2017, up two-tenths of an hour from the same month a year ago. Average hourly earnings at $31.33, not seasonally adjusted, were up $1.15 (3.8%) from the July 2016 estimate ($30.18). The resultant average Private Sector weekly pay amounted to $1,058.95, up $44.90 from a year ago (4.4%).

July 2017 seasonally adjusted average weekly initial unemployment claims for first-time filers in Connecticut decreased by 333 claimants (-8.0%) to 3,849 from June 2017, and were higher by 99 claims (2.6%) from the July 2016 level of 3,750.